Clairvoyant Charles Barkley Predicts NBA Lockout

As we watched the Mavericks close out the NBA Finals in South Beach and celebrate on enemy territory, we slowly began to transfer our thoughts to the seemingly impending lockout. After watching the NFL enter a lockout after extremely high television ratings, the last thing a sports fan wants to hear is that professional basketball will also be “M.I.A” for the near future. As it stands right now, it seems as if the owners and the players won’t be able to find common ground for compromise. While the players aren’t too thrilled about the prospects of a hard salary cap, they are willing to cut back on salaries. However, there are more problems such as fully guaranteed contracts and the minimum age limit to play in the NBA.

To nobody’s surprise, Charles Barkley has an opinion on the fate of the NBA and believes that a lockout will be the eventual result. However instead of focusing on fiscal issues, Barkley keys in on the Miami Heat and contraction as the reason for the approaching NBA lockout. He says that it would take a ‘miracle’ for Stern to evade a lockout:

“I think they’re really upset by this Lebron James/Chris Bosh situation, because their teams don’t have to be really good, but I feel like if they have a star in their market they can make some money. And if all the stars want to play together… we’re almost becoming like baseball where you’ve got a few good teams and the rest of them stink.”

While Pat Riley and the Miami Heat can’t be sole perpetrators responsible for causing the 2011 NBA Lockout, Barkley does have a point. Should guys like CP3 and Dwight leave for big markets, the NBA may have a challenging dilemma on their hands.